Senior or Staff Attorney, Criminal Legal Systems

Position Description

The SPLC is seeking a Senior Staff or Staff Attorney who is committed to reducing the incarceration of black and brown people in the Deep South!

The Criminal Legal System Reform team works to advance the SPLC’s strategic goal to reduce the incarcerated and detained population by decriminalizing and decarcerating Black and Brown people in the Deep South. We challenge unjust laws and agency actions that reinforce systemic inequities and state-sponsored violence against Black and Brown people, and unjust and unconstitutional laws contributing to the over-incarceration of Black and Brown communities.

Our work includes policing, pretrial justice, the criminalization of reproductive rights, post‑conviction relief and conditions cases, and children in adults, jails, and prisons.

• Experienced. Demonstrated experience litigating individual and class action civil rights cases in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels.
• Advocate. Experience working with community organizations, grassroots campaigns, and impacted communities, particularly in the Deep South, to reform the criminal legal system.
• Committed. Demonstrated interest and commitment to community‑oriented and movement‑supportive lawyering.
• Analytical. Ability to synthesize complex issues and communicate them effectively to diverse audiences.
• Researcher. Demonstrated ability to conduct legal research and factual investigations.
• Creative. Ability to create vision and take calculated risks in crafting and executing strategies to move litigation forward.
• Collaborative. Demonstrated ability to work with other Advocacy and Litigation Impact Teams (ALITs), external organizations, and stakeholders to execute specific strategies to advance the work and cases of the Criminal Legal Systems ALIT.
• Communicative. Exceptional communication skills and ability to communicate persuasively to a variety of audiences through writing and speaking.
• Mission, Vision & Culture Alignment. Demonstrated understanding of and a commitment to SPLC's mission, vision and values.

• Lead the implementation of SPLC’s criminal legal system reform advocacy strategies, especially in the Deep South.
• Develop new cases in consultation with SPLC staff and community partners.
• Senior Staff Attorneys will train, and mentor legal staff as needed.
• Develop and maintain collaborations and partnerships with community organizations.
• Investigate, gather information, and interview clients and witnesses.
• Collaborate with team members of other ALITs in the Legal Department as well as all other members of other SPLC Departments to advance the impact goals and campaigns of SPLC.
• Write legal memos and briefs.
• Represent SPLC in various forums, including before community groups, legislators, and state agencies.
• Respond to requests for legal assistance.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.

Uphold our JEDI principles by seeking diverse collaborators and partners that can deliver genuine, authentic and impactful work while ensuring their contributions are directed towards the shared mission, vision and values of the Center and Legal Department’s goals.